Research Fellowships in Korea for International Researchers
These programmes are structured as research fellowships rather than Korean degree-entry scholarships. Doctoral status, an overseas affiliation, a Korean host, residence history, research field and reporting obligations can determine eligibility. A PhD label does not turn a fellowship into tuition support for a doctoral degree.
5 programmes from the published database. Application status as of 2026-10-11 (KST); source review dates are recorded individually. Past calls remain labeled by their year and deadline. A policy without dates is not treated as an open call.
Research fellowships
Research qualifications and overseas affiliation requirements differ from degree-entry scholarships.
Foundation scholarshipResearch;PostdoctoralResearch fellowship
International Scholar Exchange Fellowship (ISEF)
Chey Institute for Advanced Studies
KRW 3,500,000 per month research stipend; KRW 1,000,000 settlement support; KRW 1,000,000 on submission of the final research paper. Round-trip airfare and medical insurance are provided. Publication incentives have separate conditions.
Doctorate-holding faculty, researchers or postdoctoral researchers currently employed at an overseas university or research institute. Korean nationals and people currently residing or researching in Korea are excluded. In principle, applicants must be aged 50 or younger at the deadline and able to conduct research in English. This is not a degree tuition scholarship.
Apply through the Chey Institute ISEF application system with a research proposal, supporting documents and recommendations. At least one referee must be outside the home institution. The general annual application window is early November to mid-February; exact dates for the next call have not been announced on the reviewed page.
Dates not listed · Scholarship application
Next application dates have not been announced on the reviewed programme page.
Award duration and continued support
Research in Korea for six months or one year. A one-year extension for postdoctoral researchers may be granted after review; it is not automatic. Initial, interim and final research reports are required.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program · Korea Study/Research
U.S. government · Fulbright Korea
Estimated KRW 2,400,000/month plus travel and accident/sickness health benefits. Final amounts follow the grant document. University tuition and affiliation fees are not covered.
U.S. citizens with a bachelor’s degree by grant start; PhD holders and U.S.–Korean dual citizens are excluded. Prior-year Korea residence of three months or more is excluded, except undergraduate study abroad. Korean proficiency of at least novice level and a Korea-related social-science, arts or humanities research project are required.
Apply through Fulbright/IIE. National deadline: October 7, 2026 at 06:00 KST (October 6 at 17:00 Eastern Time); university internal deadlines may be earlier. Obtain a Korean host affiliation letter by December 31, 2026. This award does not fund graduate degree enrollment.
Independent research for 10 months at bachelor’s/master’s level or 6–10 months for doctoral candidates. Korean language training must be completed if required; failure can withdraw the award.
University application routes (1)
Direct application for this call
Closed Fall 2027 · University route deadline: 2026-10-07 KST · 06:00 KST
Apply through Fulbright/IIE. National deadline: October 7, 2026 at 06:00 KST (October 6 at 17:00 Eastern Time); university internal deadlines may be earlier. Obtain a Korean host affiliation letter by December 31, 2026. This award does not fund graduate degree enrollment.
Government scholarshipResearch;PostdoctoralResearch fellowship
AKS Fellowship for Korean Studies
Academy of Korean Studies
KRW 2,000,000 per month; one economy round-trip airfare within the budget cap, except for residents in Korea; up to 50% off AKS guesthouse fees.
Overseas-affiliated Korean-studies researchers in humanities or social sciences with a PhD or completed doctoral coursework (ABD). Korean nationals need foreign permanent residency. AKS fellowship recipients within the previous three years are excluded. ABD applicants need a supervisor recommendation. Documents must be in Korean or English, or have notarized translations.
Apply online through the AKS fellowship notice with the application, CV and affiliation/enrollment proof. ABD applicants also submit coursework-completion proof; the supervisor emails a recommendation. The 2027 call closed July 16, 2026 at 17:00 KST.
Research in Korea for 2–6 months during 2027. No concurrent fellowship. Present at the overseas Korean-studies colloquium and submit research results before the stay ends; acknowledge AKS and submit two copies when publishing.
Government scholarshipResearch;PhD;PostdoctoralResearch fellowship
KF Fellowship for Field Research
The Korea Foundation
Monthly stipend: KRW 2,300,000 for doctoral candidates or KRW 3,000,000 for eligible faculty/PhD professionals. Entry allowance and travel insurance; airfare only for qualifying lower-income countries of residence.
Overseas-affiliated researchers studying Korea-related humanities, social sciences or relevant emerging topics. Type A: doctoral coursework completed and dissertation in progress. Type B: full-time lecturer or higher, or PhD holder active in research/professional work. Foreign citizenship or permanent residency outside Korea is required; Korean nationals must have obtained it by August 2026. Secure a Korean affiliate scholar and host institution before applying. Excludes continuous extension of prior study/research in Korea, Korean-public-institution field-research funding in the preceding three years, concurrent Korean institutional funding and regular degree/language-study applicants. No parental citizenship requirement is stated.
Apply online through KF by October 14, 2026 at 18:00 KST. Referees submit two letters by October 19 at 18:00. Upload nationality/residency proof, CV, research proposal, signed Korean cooperative-research proposal and degree/employment documents; doctoral candidates also need coursework completion and transcripts. Research and documents must be Korean or English, with translations where needed. Accommodation is not provided. Entry allowance: KRW 500,000 for doctoral candidates, KRW 1,000,000 for PhD holders or KRW 1,500,000 for tenured associate/full professors; only the highest applicable amount is paid. Economy return airfare is restricted to residence in eligible DAC least-developed, low-income or lower-middle-income countries; upper-middle-income countries are excluded.
Open · Scholarship application deadline: 2026-10-14 KST · 18:00 KST
Award duration and continued support
Field research in Korea for 1–6 months during 2027, starting by November 30. Submit the final report two weeks before completion. Doctoral candidates should obtain their degree within two years and send the dissertation to KF. Faculty fellows are encouraged to publish an article within two years or a book within three. Acknowledge KF and report progress annually for three years. Concurrent support from Korean institutions is prohibited.
Government scholarshipMaster;PhD;ResearchResearch fellowship
AKS Graduate Fellowship
The Academy of Korean Studies · Graduate School of Korean Studies
KRW 750,000 per month for six months; free on-campus dormitory and Korean language courses. Economy return airfare reimbursed at actual cost within the city ceiling, capped at KRW 2,088,000 per person.
As of September 1, 2026: enrolled in a master’s or doctoral programme at an overseas university, or master’s coursework completed with dissertation pending. Doctoral ABD applicants are ineligible. Research must concern Korea/Korean studies. Foreign nationals qualify; Korean nationals must have completed all equivalent primary, secondary and university education outside Korea. Previous AKS Graduate Fellows cannot reapply. Korean proficiency is preferred; no minimum TOPIK/English score is stated. No parental-nationality requirement is stated. This is a non-degree research visit in Korea, not tuition support for enrollment in a Korean degree.
The 2026 call is closed: online application April 27, 2026, 10:00–May 8, 17:00 KST through gradaks.recruiter.co.kr. Name an AKS academic advisor. Upload application, personal statement, research plan, degree/enrollment/coursework certificates, transcripts, passport and photo; valid language certificates are optional. The home-university advisor must email a recommendation from their own account within the same application period. Documents must be Korean or English, or accompanied by notarized translations. Selected fellows submit original documents by post. Up to five fellows; no selection if none qualifies. Insurance is advised at the fellow’s own cost. Final report minimum: 16,000 Korean characters or 5,000 English words, excluding bibliography. Obtain prior approval for exceptional overseas conference travel, acknowledge AKS in publications and provide return-ticket details. No later call dates are announced here.
September 1, 2026–February 28, 2027; no extension. Select an AKS advisor and complete at least one advisor-taught course or independent study with a successful grade. Present findings, submit a final thesis/report and proof of stay in Korea; complete obligations at least two weeks before departure. Academic-status proof was due September 21. Paid work and registration at another Korean institution are prohibited. Delayed arrival, early departure or time abroad reduces the stipend by KRW 25,000 per day. Airfare is paid after completing obligations; certain cases receive one-way fares only. Unsuccessful courses or missing reports/presentations can remove airfare; false information or non-compliance can revoke support and require repayment.
Can I use these fellowships to pay Korean degree tuition?
Not unless the individual programme explicitly says so. These records are non-degree research support and several explicitly exclude regular degree enrollment.
Do all applicants need a PhD?
No. Some accept doctoral candidates or visiting graduate researchers, while others require a doctorate or overseas employment. Read the recorded qualification and host conditions.